Improvement in railroad-signals



J. W. PERGIVAL. Railroad-Signal.

F fiatented Jan. 14,1879.

MPETFRS, PHDIO-LITHOGRAFHER, WASHINGTON. D 04 wt in 6 Spas.-

/fl ww UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE.

JOHN W. PEROIVAL, OF PITTSBUBG, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILROAD-SIGNALS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 211,423, dated anuary14, 1879; application filed October 31, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. PERGIVAL, of Pittsburg, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Railroad- Signals; and I do hereby declare thefollowin g to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains tomake and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, whichform part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in railroad-signals; and itconsists in a combination of deviceswhereby signals can be made,

visible by day and night, from stations at any distance from localitieswhere, owing to curves in the road or other obstacles, the engineercannot see far enough ahead to avoid danger, should there be any,without being warned by signals.

The accompanying drawings represent my invention.

The letter A represents a square box, with doors B at front and rear,the doors being hinged at the top. At or near the centers of the doors,and opposite to each other, are openings 0, covered with glass.

In the box A is a frame, D, for the support of two cylinders, E,entering the box from opposite sides and inclining toward each other.The piston-rods F of the cylinders extend diagonally upward through thetop of the box, crossing one another, and terminate in crossheads a.

On top of the box A is a frame, G, in the upper part of which the shaftH movably supports the signal-levers I, to which levers, in theiroblique descent, the cross-heads a are attached, so that any motion ofthe piston-rods is directly communicated to the signal-levers I.

The levers I, when not engaged in signaling, rest upon the upper edgesof the box, but when in use are raised by the piston-rods, and extendlaterally. They are painted in disti nctly-difierin g colors, andcorrespondin g with these are lights or glasses 1), attached to bothends of the rods 0, which latter are fastened to the piston-rods, andextend nearly from one door to the other inside the box.

The lights b, with their rods 0, are so adjusted that when thepiston-rod of either cylinder is raised the lights bearing the color ofthe moving signals outside cover the openings 0 in both doors, and againuncover them when the piston descends.

Under the frame I) is placed a lamp, L, that when lighted at night showsthe colors of either of the signals, and when no signals are made awhite light shows through the openings 0, indicating that there is nodanger.

Pipes are introduced into the under end of the cylinders for eithercompressed air or steam, by which the pistons are raised, so that anoperator, at any distance from the signalbox, by simply turning alever,may give the required signals.

The signal-boxes are to be elevated or placed where they can be readilyseen by engineers on passing trains, and by the instantaneous action ofthe signal-levers a warning, may be given at any moment to anapproaching train.

I am aware that a collapsible bellows having a rod attached to its upperend has been used to operate the colored lights, the bellows oroperating device being located below the box in which the lightisplaced, and not within it. Myinvention consists in the use of metalliccylinders, which are not affected by damp and moisture, and which areplaced in the box with the light for the purpose of making the apparatusmore compact.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- I 1. I11 a signal-box, thetwo cylinders E, placed at right angles to each other, the piston-rodsl! of which operate the colored glasses b, substantially as shown.

2. The combination of the cylinders E, rods F, colored glasses 1), andweighted rods I, substantially as set forth. p

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this26th day of October, 1878.

JOHN WM. PEROIVAL.

Witnesses ALEX. O. HERRON, T. F. LEHMANN.

